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Victory Day plans curtailed for bomb fear

SURANJITH DEABNATH
While the nation observes the Martyred Intellectuals Day tomorrow and the Victory Day two days later, mounting public fear about reckless bomb blasts by Islamist militants has this time led to curtailment of programmes on these occasions reminiscing the Liberation War compared to those in the previous years.
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Different political parties, sociocultural organisations and professional bodies have not taken up as elaborate programmes as in the past to mark the two national days in the wake of the continuing spate of bomb attacks by suicide squads of Islamist militants in different places across the country.
Leaders of these organisations said they have cut their programmes considering the mounting public insecurity with the government failing to ensure of safety of lives of people in the face of attacks by the militants.
Every year, varieties of programmes including discussion, film show and exhibition of documentariers on the Liberation War, musical soiree, drama, dance and recitation at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital and elsewhere in the country used to begin on the first day of December. These programmes highlighted the sprit of the war and recalled the supreme sacrifice of the matyrs for liberating the motherland.
But this year, such programmes are not being held as yet.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote (SSJ), a leading cultural body, has taken up a three-day programme this time, instead of a 15-day one in the past, due to the rising militancy in the country.
SSJ General Secretary Golam Kuddus told The Daily Star that they have decided to hold their programmes at only there places in the capital --the Central Shaheed Minar, Dhanmondi Rabindra Sorobor and the TSC of Dhaka University-- in lieu of eight places in the previous years.
Bangabandhu Sangskritik jote, Projanma Akattar, Amra Mutijuddha Santan, Bulbulkala Lalita Academy and Progatishil Chhatra Jote also
curtailed their programmes.
Different cultural organisations of Dhaka University also said they have taken up short prhgrammes.
“We can't count on our law enforcers as grenade and bomb attacks in spite of so-called tight security steps continue,” said a leader of the DU unit of Chhatra Front.
Meanwhile, the home ministry said a four-layer security bulwark backed by dog squad and sophisticated detective machines will be in place for trouble-free celebration of the Victory Day. All the venues including the National Mausoleum at Savar, Bangabandhu stadium and Bangabhaban will be put under tight security.
Police, Rab and other law enforcement agencies has been directed to keep round-the-clock vigilance at the programmes of the national days, it said.